Alcaraz edges victory to give Europe lead at Laver Cup

Two-time Wimbledon champion Carlos Alcaraz narrowly avoided back-to-back singles defeats for the first time in 18 months as Team Europe took a 7-5 lead over Team World at the Laver Cup. Alcaraz, the world number three, saved two match points before overcoming Taylor Fritz 6-3, 4-6, 13-11 in a dramatic deciding tie-break at London’s O2 Arena.

This match marked Alcaraz’s first singles outing since his late-night quarter-final exit to Ben Shelton at the US Open. After sealing victory with a trademark drop shot, Alcaraz commented, "The drop shot is part of my game. In those really close and important moments, I tried to use it because it was a really good weapon for me in this match."

Despite approaching the match with a history of wrist injury struggles, Alcaraz dominated the court with 42 winners compared to Fritz's 20, earning cheers from a star-studded audience that included tennis legends Roger Federer and Andy Murray. In a tense tie break, facing match point at 8-9, Alcaraz fired an ace and then executed a drop shot to stave off Fritz’s next attempt to close the match. Alcaraz ultimately converted his third match point when Fritz failed to retrieve another delicate drop shot over the net.

Earlier in the session, Team World threatened to gain momentum as Alex de Minaur bounced back from a set down to shock Alexander Zverev with a score of 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 11-9. Additionally, American debutant Learner Tien edged Italy’s Flavio Cobolli with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 10-7. Following Alcaraz’s singles victory, Zverev returned to the court with Casper Ruud to secure a vital 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) doubles win over Alexander Bublik and Brandon Nakashima, maintaining Europe’s lead into the final day.

Match wins are set to be worth three points on Sunday, with the first team to reach 13 points lifting the trophy. Europe is chasing its sixth Laver Cup title, while holders Team World aim for their third.